Being a teacher can be stressful.  Really stressful.  I caught myself thinking, “Why did I get myself into this??” on a regular basis.  But, because Thanksgiving is just around the corner (no, it's not time to put up the tree yet), I decided to list some of the things that are great about being a teacher.  Because there are lots.

1. Students-They’re the reason I and hopefully all teachers teach.
2. Funny comments-Kids say hilarious things.  And we elementary teachers get to hear a lot of them.
3. The teacher community-I don’t know about you, but I love the sense of community that there is among teachers.  Even if we don’t know each other very well, we seem to understand what each other are going through so well.
4. Summer break-Now, I know that we all still work over the summer, but it is nice to be able to relax after 180 very long days.
5. Holiday breaks-They are especially nice for you teacher moms.  You get to spend the holidays with your family, like you should.
6. Paras-Paraeducators are life savers.  If you are lucky enough to have them in your classroom, count it as a blessing!
7. PLCs-I loved being able to work with the other 2nd grade teachers.  It’s so great to be able to share ideas and save yourself planning time.
8. Specialty classes-Specialties are another life saver.  They give you a breather and time to plan so you don’t have to stay as late.
9. Student notes-It’s always so cute when a student writes you a note or draws you a picture.  I saved a few and they still make me tear up a little.
10. Snow days-Not having to go to work because of snow, means that you have your plans done for the next day (unless you had one of those days where you forgot to plan) and can relax at home (except we always find something else we need to do).
11. Read Alouds-Maybe you don’t, but I love children’s books.  Like, way more than adult novels.  So, I was always super excited for read alouds.
12. Fridays-Fridays took on a whole new meaning when I became a teacher.  Plus, my school did early release Fridays, which was AMAZING.
13. Light bulb moments-It is always so rewarding when you see a student finally understand something.
14. The last parent teacher conference-This is the best feeling in the world.  You feel a rush of relief that you are finally done! Well, for a few months at least.
15. Teacher appreciation week-It’s always nice to feel appreciated.  Plus, I could never say no to chocolate or restaurant gift cards.
16. Teacher deals-I always love it when I see a store giving discounts to teachers.
17. The dollar store-Cheapest way to get class decorations and student gifts. I went there WAY too much.  But hey, it’s way cheaper than most places.
18. Teachers Pay Teachers-Yet another life saver.  It's one of my favorite planning tools.
19. Early release-Even though it means you probably have PD, it’s still nice to get a break from teaching.
20. 3 day weekends-It’s always the best when a holiday falls on a Friday or a Monday.
21. Classroom donations-I always loved seeing a student walk in with a grocery bag full of class supplies.  One less thing to buy!
22. Parent volunteers-Parents can be the worst part of teaching, but they can also be great.  If you have parents that are willing to plan the parties or read with your students, don’t pass it up!
23. The pay-Just kidding.  The pay stinks, but at least you get paid something for doing the best job in the world.
24. The dependable student-Every class has at least one student who you can always depend on to know the answers to questions.
25. Your impact-Being able to see how you change your students’ lives helps you remember why you became a teacher and makes it all worth it.

If you are feeling really down about teaching, just remember that there are so many good things about it.  You have the most important job in the world; you are preparing the future.

Share what you are grateful for in the comments.

Happy planning!
Mackenzie

It’s Friday!!  You made it through Halloween on a Monday.  Hopefully you still have your hair.  I know that all of you have had a long week, so I will keep this post short and sweet. 

When I was teaching, I always loved to hear about new technology that I could use in my class, so I wanted to tell you about a FREE resource that your students will LOVE.  It’s called Kahoot!.  If you haven’t heard about it or used it before, read on.  If you have, stop reading and take a break!

Kahoot! is a website that turns your multiple choice questions into a fun, competitive quiz game.  You can add videos and pictures to the questions, and you get to pick the time limit for students to answer the questions.  You project the question, read the question aloud, and then the students compete against each other as they answer the questions on a tablet or computer.  They earn points for being correct and for how quickly they respond.  The top scorers show up on a leader board at the end of each question.

You can also use Kahoot! for discussions and surveys to draw your students into a lesson.  After you finish with a quiz, you can share your quiz with others.  Or, if you are in a rush, you can search for quizzes that others have made.

I love Kahoot!.  It is fun for all ages.  I have even played it at a professional development, and my coworkers and I had so much fun.  It is great for practice at the end of a lesson or for a review game at the end of a unit.
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This is such a fun and engaging resource.  So, if you are looking for something new to try in your class, check out Kahoot!.

https://getkahoot.com/

Happy planning!
Mackenzie